Tape combination for positioning slats on a slatted frame

ABSTRACT

A ribbon combination for holding the ends of a plurality of laths in a grid-like arrangement comprises a row of pouches which are open to at least one side. The ribbon combination, is manufactured as a combination of ribbon parts ( 3  and  4 ) which lie essentially flat against each other which ribbon parts are joined to one another in a suitable manner. The first ribbon part ( 3 ) consists of a shrinkable material (e.g., cotton material) and the second ribbon part ( 4 ) consist of a non-shrinkable or less shrinkable material (e.g., nylon or pre-shrunken cotton material). The ribbon combination is then subjected to a shrinking process. By this, the pouches which were flat beforehand, comprise now a shrunken pouch bottom and a pouch part arching over the bottom. The ribbon combination is very easy to manufacture and comprises a constant length, independent of whether lath ends are inserted in the pouches or not. The ribbon combination can easily be stitched on to a lattice apron or a mattress cover with the shrunken ribbon part lying flat thereon.

[0001] The invention is situated in the field of furniture manufacturing and is related to a ribbon combination in accordance with the generic term of the first claim. The ribbon combination is a double ribbon at least in some sectors, which double ribbon forms a row of pouches open on at least one side. The ribbon combination serves in particular for fixing laths in a grid-like arrangement.

[0002] From the publication EP-0243383, for example, lath grids for lying or seating surfaces are known. These grids comprise in addition to the laths a lattice apron and they form units being essentially independent of a frame. The lattice apron is in most cases rectangular and comprises along two opposite edges a row of pouches open towards the central zone of the lattice apron. The laths are somewhat longer than the distance between pouches situated opposite one another and the ends of each lath are inserted into two pouches situated opposite one another. The lattice apron is tensioned by the laths and as a result maintains the laths in a parallel position. A lath grid of this kind comprising a plurality of laths and a lattice apron represents a stable unit, which is flexible transverse to the orientation of the laths and therefore can be rolled up.

[0003] Lath grids of the mentioned type are usually utilised together with elastically sprung longitudinal spars positioned transverse to the orientation of the laths, which spars are arranged between a support (bedstead or floor) and the lath grid. Spars and grid form together a sprung lying or seating surface. Therein the longitudinal spars may be directly attached to the lattice apron. The lattice apron may also be a part of a mattress cover, so that the mattress, the lath grid and if so applicable the longitudinal spars become a single unit (as e.g., disclosed in WO-99/35940).

[0004] For manufacturing a lattice apron the most simple procedure is to fold over two opposite edge zones of a rectangular apron and to stitch the folded over edge zones to the apron in the form of a row of pouches, which are open towards the centre of the apron. While lattice aprons of this kind are relatively simple to manufacture, they do, however, have a disadvantage. When the laths are inserted into the pouches, the rows of pouches are shortened in relation to the central zone of the apron, so that the apron then cannot be laid out flat anymore. This does not look satisfactory in particular when the apron is part of a mattress cover, which is supposed to be taut. The disadvantage also has an economic side, because the apron has to be cut longer than it actually has to be. Ribbons, which for the formation of the pouches are stitched on to a lattice apron, apron and ribbon lying flat against each other, have the same disadvantage.

[0005] In accordance with prior art, the disadvantages mentioned are countered in that rows of pouches are produced by stitching pouch ribbons onto the apron, wherein the pouch ribbons are either somewhat longer than the lattice apron and are correspondingly stitched on, or wherein the pouch ribbons are at least partially elastically stretchable.

[0006] Simple, not significantly stretchable ribbons are not stitched on to the lattice apron lying flat against the apron, but in such a manner, that they form three-dimensional pouches. Double ribbons, which form flat pouches or which comprise openings (button hole ribbons), are stitched on to the lattice apron in a compressed or pushed together condition. In both these cases the stitching work for joining the two parts not lying flat upon one another is elaborate. Ribbons consisting wholly or partially of an elastically stretchable material and are stitched onto the apron lying flat against the apron. The elastic material is then stretched by the ends of the laths inserted into the pouches in such a manner, that the thickness of the laths is compensated for. In the publication WO-96/28072, for example, double pouch ribbons are described, the pouches of which comprise a non-stretchable and a stretchable part. Using such ribbons it is possible to achieve a lattice apron being able to lie flat even when the laths are inserted into the pouches. However, this is true only if the lath position in the pouches is very accurate, i.e. the laths lie on the not stretchable part of the pouch with only one face and the stretchable part of the pouch lies around the second face and the two narrow sides. Positioning the lath ends in the described way is no problem; however, the tractive force of the elastically stretchable material renders such positioning unstable, so that at least during the use of the lath grid shortening of the row of pouches in relation to the central part of the lattice apron takes place all the same. The same is applicable for simple, elastically stretchable ribbons, which are directly stitched on to the lattice apron to form pouches.

[0007] The invention sets itself the objective of creating a ribbon combination, which, like the mentioned at least partially elastically stretchable pouch ribbons, is capable of being stitched on to a lattice apron lying flat against the apron, which ribbon combination, however, with and without inserted laths as well as in operation has an unchanged length, in the same way as not stretchable pouch ribbons which are stitched onto the apron not lying flat against the apron. Nonetheless, the ribbon combination in accordance with the invention is to be simple to manufacture.

[0008] This objective is achieved with the ribbon combination as defined in the claims.

[0009] The ribbon combination according to the invention is manufactured in the form of two ribbon parts lying essentially flat upon one another, wherein the two ribbon parts are joined together in such a manner, that they form a row pouches which are flat and open at least on one ribbon side. The first ribbon part consists of a material, which is shrinkable at least in the direction of the ribbon length and the second ribbon part is made out of a material which is either not shrinkable at all or else is less shrinkable than the first ribbon part. The ribbon combination with the flat pouches is subjected to shrinking conditions, as a result of which the first, shrinkable ribbon part shortens and the second ribbon part either maintains its original length or at least shortens to a significantly lesser degree than the first ribbon part, so that the originally flat pouches after shrinkage comprise a pouch bottom shortened by shrinking and an essentially non-shrunken pouch part, which arches over the pouch bottom.

[0010] For the application in lath grids, the materials of the two ribbon parts have to be selected in such a manner, that after the shrinking operation the length of the first ribbon part amounts to approximately 95% of the length of the second ribbon part.

[0011] The shrinkability of textile materials is known in the textile field. Therefore, one skilled in the art will be able to manufacture the ribbon combination in accordance with the invention without any difficulty by combining two ribbon materials in such a manner, that their length, after a correspondingly set-up shrinking process, has the characteristic ratio of, for example, 95:100. The shrinking characteristics of cotton, for example, are in a known manner dependent on the thread quality, on the temperature, which is utilised in the wash carried out for the shrinking process, and on the tension, under which the material is dried following the wash. Many synthetic fibre materials, such as, for example, nylon do not shrink when they are subjected to the shrinking conditions suitable for cotton materials.

[0012] The ribbon combination according to the invention comprises for example a first ribbon part, which essentially consists of cotton, and a second ribbon part, which essentially consists of nylon, wherein the two ribbon parts are lying flat against each other prior to the shrinking process. After the shrinking process, the ribbon part made of cotton forms the shrunken pouch bottoms and the ribbon part made of nylon the pouch parts arching over the pouch bottoms.

[0013] The same effect is achieved by a combination of two ribbon parts, which both consist of cotton material, one of which, however is in a pre-shrunken condition and the second one in a still shrinkable condition. The ribbon combination is manufactured with the two ribbon parts lying flat against each other and thereupon is subjected to a shrinking process, wherein the pre-shrunken ribbon part essentially maintains its original length and the still shrinkable ribbon part is shortened.

[0014] Two exemplary embodiments of the ribbon combination in accordance with the invention are described in detail in conjunction with the following Figures, wherein:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a three dimensional illustration of a first, exemplary embodiment of the ribbon combination according to the invention;

[0016]FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of the ribbon combination according to FIG. 1 with laths inserted, sectioned parallel to the ribbon length;

[0017]FIG. 3 shows a second, exemplary embodiment of the ribbon combination according to the invention.

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a first, exemplary embodiment of the ribbon combination in accordance with the invention. This embodiment comprises double-layer sectors 1 and single-layer sectors 2 alternating over its length, wherein in the double-layer sectors 1 the first ribbon part 3 and the second ribbon part 4 are separated from one another and in the single-layer sectors 2 the two ribbon parts 3 and 4 are integrated in one another. Ribbons with alternating double-layer and single-layer sectors 1 and 2 are per se known in ribbon weaving technology. They are manufactured, for example, as follows: For the single-layer ribbon sectors 2 two wefts are either alternately or else together shot through a layer of warp threads. For the double sectors 1, the warp threads are separated into two layers for the weaving of the two ribbon parts in such a manner, that they, for example, are alternately assigned to one or the other ribbon part 3 and 4 and of the two weft threads one is shot through one layer of warp threads and the second one is shot through the other layer of warp threads.

[0019] When weaving the double-layer ribbon sectors, the warp threads to be assigned to the first ribbon part 3 (lower ribbon part in FIG. 1), which, following the shrinking, forms the pouch bottoms, consist of the shrinkable material (e.g., cotton). The warp threads assigned to the second ribbon part 4 (upper ribbon part in FIG. 1), which forms the pouch parts arching over the pouch bottoms, consist of the non-shrinkable material (e.g., nylon). The ability to shrink of the material of the weft threads is not very relevant. The weft threads, for example, consist of cotton material.

[0020] The length of the finished ribbon combination as illustrated in FIG. 1 is defined by the length of the shrunken warp threads. The length of the ribbon parts 4 arching over the shrunken pouch bottoms are defined by the shrinkage ratio between the first and the second ribbon parts (3 and 4).

[0021]FIG. 2 depicts the ribbon combination in accordance with FIG. 1 with inserted laths 6, the lath grid being sectioned parallel to the length of the ribbon combination. From FIG. 2 it is evident, that by matching the dimension of the double ribbon sectors 1 and the shrinkage ratio between the first and the second ribbon parts 3 and 4 to the lath cross-sections, it is possible to achieve a pouch ribbon, in the pouches of which the lath ends are held lightly gripped by friction, the length of which, however, does not change on insertion of the laths.

[0022]FIG. 3 illustrates a second, exemplary embodiment of the ribbon combination according to the invention. The two ribbon parts 3 and 4 of the ribbon combination are two ribbons manufactured independently of one another. The ribbon parts are laid flat on top of one another and are joined together by a stitching 12 in such a manner, that they first form flat pouches, for example, open towards one side. The two ribbon parts 3 and 4 once again are manufactured of two materials having differing shrinkability, so that the ribbon combination or the pouches respectively, after a shrinking process have the shape as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0023] For manufacturing the ribbon combination of FIG. 3, it is particularly advantageous to utilise a pre-shrunk and therefore not significantly more shrinkable cotton ribbon as ribbon part 4 and a still shrinkable cotton ribbon as ribbon part 3.

[0024] Advantageously the not shrinkable second ribbon part 4 is somewhat narrower than the first, shrinkable ribbon part 3, in such a manner, that the first ribbon part 3 protrudes beyond the second ribbon part 4 along both edges. The ribbon combination with the first ribbon part lying flat against a lattice apron is stitched (stitching 15) to the apron along these protruding areas 13 and 14.

[0025] A ribbon combination comprising two ribbon parts 3 and 4, which are not of the same width, may also be directly manufactured by weaving as is described in principle for the ribbon combination depicted in FIG. 1, i.e., without having to stitch together the ribbon parts. For this weaving process, shrinkable warp threads are provided on a greater weaving width than non-shrinkable warp threads and the weft thread assigned to the shrinkable warp threads is woven over the whole width, while the weft thread assigned to the non-shrinkable warp threads is only woven over a part of the width. If the pouches are to be closed on one side, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the weft thread assigned to the non-shrinkable warp threads is woven over a small partial width along the edge at which the pouches are to be closed with shrinkable and non-shrinkable warp threads not only in the single-layer sections but over the whole length of the ribbon combination. 

1. A ribbon combination with a first ribbon part (3) and a second ribbon part (4) lying substantially against each other and being joined to one another in such a manner, that together they form a row of pouches being open at least on one side, the row extending over the length of the ribbon combination, characterized in that the first ribbon part (3) is shortened through shrinkage relative to the second ribbon part (4), so that the first ribbon part (3) forms a pouch bottom in every pouch and the second ribbon part (4) arches over the pouch bottom.
 2. A ribbon combination in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the first ribbon part (3) consists at least partially of a material which has been shrunk under predefined conditions and the second ribbon part (4) consists at least partially of a material, which under the predefined conditions is either non-shrinkable or else less shrinkable than the material of the first ribbon part.
 3. A ribbon combination according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first ribbon part (3) consists at least partially of shrinkable cotton material and the second ribbon part (4) consists at least partially of a non-shrinkable or less shrinkable synthetic fabric.
 4. A ribbon combination in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second ribbon part (4) consists at least partially of pre-shrunken cotton material and the first ribbon part (3) consists at least partially of non-preshrunken cotton material.
 5. A ribbon combination according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the two ribbon parts (3 and 4) are woven with warp threads and weft threads and that the warp threads of the first ribbon part (3) consist of a shrinkable material and the warp threads of the second ribbon part (4) consist of the non-shrinkable or less shrinkable material.
 6. A ribbon combination in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the warp threads of the first ribbon part (3) consist of cotton material and the warp threads of the second ribbon part (4) consist of nylon material.
 7. A ribbon combination according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is manufactured in a single weaving process and that it comprises alternating over its length single-layer sectors (2) and double-layer sectors (1), wherein in the single-layer sectors the two ribbon parts (3 and 4) are integrated in each other and in the double-layer sectors (1) the two ribbon parts are separate from one another.
 8. A ribbon combination in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the two ribbon parts (3 and 4) are two ribbons having been manufactured independently of one another and being stitched together to form the row of pouches.
 9. A ribbon combination according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the second ribbon part (4) is narrower than the first ribbon part (3).
 10. Use of a ribbon combination in accordance with one of claims 1 to 9 for fixing laths in a grid-like arrangement.
 11. Process for manufacturing a ribbon combination comprising a first ribbon part (3) and a second ribbon part (4), the two ribbon parts lying against each other and being joined together to form a row of pouches open at least on one side, the row of pouches extending over the length of the ribbon combination, characterized in that the first ribbon part (3) which consists at least partially of a material being shrinkable under predefined conditions and the second ribbon part (4) which consists at least partially of a material being non-shrinkable or less shrinkable than the material of the first ribbon part under the predefined conditions are positioned flat against each other and are joined to one another to form a row of pouches being open at least on one side, and that the two joined ribbon parts (3 and 4) are subjected to the predefined conditions.
 12. Process in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the two ribbon parts (3 and 4) are manufactured and joined to one another in a single weaving process.
 13. Process according to claim 11, characterized in that the ribbon parts (3 and 4) are woven separately and are then stitched together.
 14. Process in accordance with one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the first ribbon part (3) consists at least partially of cotton material and that, for the shrinking process, the ribbon combination is washed at a predefined temperature and thereupon is dried under tension. 